Content Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary • opiates • narcotics • codeine • morphine • heroin • oxycodone • hallucinogens • hallucinations • amotivational syndrome • amphetamines • methamphetamine • sedatives • barbiturates • opium

Content Vocabulary • LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) • PCP (phencyclidine hydrochloride) • peyote • mescaline • psilocybin • look-alikes • ephedrine • sudden sniffing death • club drugs

Illegal drugs may be mixed with unknown substances, even poisons, and can have unexpected effects on your health.

Marijuana • Marijuana use can cause abnormal heart action, reduced immunity, and lung damage.

Marijuana is the most frequently abused illegal drug in the United States. Marijuana users smoke it or put it in food. Hashish, a concentrated marijuana resin, is also smoked or sometimes eaten. Marijuana

The chemicals in marijuana that produce euphoria are all related to the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. When smoked the chemicals are absorbed in the lungs. Chemicals then travel in the blood to the brain, liver, and kidney, and are released through the urine. Marijuana

Effects of THC THC alters hearing, touch, taste, smell, as well as the sense of time, the sense of space, and emotions. THC is sometimes used to fight nausea in cancer and AIDS patients. THC can also reduce the eye swelling that occurs in glaucoma. Marijuana

Other Chemicals in Marijuana Marijuana • Due to the chemicals in marijuana, reactions range from mild euphoria and uncontrollable laughter to hallucinations. hallucinations False perceptions such as imagined sights, sounds, smells, or other feelings, sometimes brought on by drug abuse, sometimes by mental or physical illness

Harmful Health Effects Some of the harmful health effects of marijuana are: Short term memory loss and shortened attention span. Rapid and sometimes irregular heartbeats. Altered immune response. Reduced hormone levels and sperm count in men. Lung damage—bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly lung cancer. Marijuana

Harmful Health Effects Marijuana may be contaminated with pesticides, poisonous molds, or herbicides. During processing other chemicals may be mixed with marijuana. Marijuana impairs reaction time and judgment, thus impairing driving ability. Marijuana

Harmful Health Effects Amotivational syndrome is one of many harmful effects of long-term marijuana use. Marijuana amotivational syndrome A loss of ambition and drive characteristic of long-term abusers of marijuana

Amphetamines • Amphetamines and methamphetamines are addictive drugs, because tolerance to them develops quickly.

Amphetamines are sometimes prescribed by a doctor to treat narcolepsy or, in children, hyperactivity. Amphetamines amphetamines Powerful, addictive stimulant drugs

Amphetamines stimulate the nervous system, increasing activity, blocking fatigue and hunger, and producing euphoric feelings. Amphetamines can be inhaled (snorted), smoked, or injected. Amphetamines

People abuse amphetamines for many reasons, including: To combat fatigue or stay awake at night. To lose weight. To reduce sleepiness brought on by alcohol or other drugs with a sedative effect. Amphetamines

Methamphetamine The most frequently abused of the amphetamines ismethamphetamine. Amphetamines methamphetamine A stronger form of amphetamine that is highly addictive, also called speed

Methamphetamine Methamphetamine abuse has led to less availability of some over-the-counter medicines that are used to make the drug. To reduce the availability of some of the over-the-counter ingredients, the federal government requires that pharmacists now stock those medicines with the regulated drugs. Amphetamines

How Do People Take Methamphetamine? Methamphetamine, also known as “speed” or “meth” is often injected into a vein. Crystal meth, a concentrated form of the drug, can be smoked or injected. Risks of methamphetamine use include overdose and infectious diseases from shared needles. Amphetamines

Cocaine • Cocaine is a stimulant that produces a short term, intense high followed by extreme dysphoria.

Cocaine comes from leaves of the coca bush. Cocaine can be sniffed, injected, or smoked (the most addictive form). Cocaine provides a short burst of euphoria mixed with a feeling of being out of control, followed by intense dysphoria. Cocaine

Effects of Cocaine Cocaine stimulates the nervous system and brings on the stress response. Sniffing cocaine can leave a hole in nasal tissue. Chronic fatigue and headaches plague many users. Cocaine use can cause heart attack, stroke, or seizure. Cocaine

Risks to Unborn Babies Cocaine use during pregnancy can cause permanent birth defects and even death. Cocaine cuts off the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, stunting the baby’s growth. Cocaine

Addiction Between 60 and 80 percent of cocaine users reported that they are addicted. A person who is addicted to cocaine loses the ability to work, to play, to keep a job, or to stop abusing the drug. Cocaine

Sedatives and Barbiturates • Sedatives and barbiturates act as depressants, slowing the body’s systems, and causing addiction.

Sedatives can be dangerous when taken without medical supervision because they slow the heart and/or the brain and nervous system. Sedatives and Barbiturates sedatives Depressants that slow the body systems

Barbiturates slow the heart rate, respiration rate, and lower the blood pressure and body temperature. Sedatives and Barbiturates barbiturates Depressant drugs that slow the activity of the central nervous system

Some sedatives are more addictive than others, but none are safe. The long-term abuse of barbiturates can lead to depression, forgetfulness, reduced sex drive, and addiction. Sedatives and Barbiturates

Opiates • Narcotics are addictive drugs used to relieve pain, and include codeine, heroin, and oxycodone.

Opium is an extremely addictive drug. Opiates opium A milky fluid found in the seed pods of the opium poppy

Opiates are also known as narcotics. Opiates opiates narcotics Substances derived from the opium poppy Habit-forming drugs that relieve pain and produce sleep when taken in moderate doses

Codeine, Morphine, and Heroin Opiates • Physicians sometimes prescribe codeine. codeine A narcotic drug that is commonly used for suppressing coughs

Codeine, Morphine, and Heroin Opiates • Morphine is one of the strongest painkillers in medicine. morphine A narcotic drug that physicians prescribe as a painkiller

Codeine, Morphine, and Heroin Opiates • Heroin is the most abused narcotic drug in the United States. heroin A narcotic drug derived from morphine

Oxycodone Opiates • Oxycodone is generally prescribed for cancer patients or for severe pain. oxycodone The narcotic drug in strong, time-released painkiller called Oxycontin

Oxycodone Oxycodone is highly addictive and sometimes deadly. Abusers crush the tablet and swallow or snort them, or mix them with water and inject them. Opiates

Hallucinogens • Drugs that produce false sensations in the mind, such as vivid and distorted visions, are called hallucinogens.

LSD, or acid, is the best known of the hallucinogens. Hallucinogens LSD hallucinogens A powerful hallucinogenic drug Drugs that cause visions and other sensory illusions

LSD is so powerful that just a tiny drop of solution sends the taker on a mental “trip” of distorted visions that can last for hours. A person who takes LSD may experience flashbacks, or a resurfacing of the drug’s effects, for many months after the original trip has ended. Hallucinogens

PCP Hallucinogens • PCP is a drug that causes frightening hallucinations and violent tendencies. PCP An animal tranquilizer, abused by humans as a hallucinogen

PCP PCP can cause unpredictable side effects. PCP can cause users to become so violent that they commit murder or suicide. PCP can give users extraordinary strength, which can lead to injury. PCP can cause seizures, coma, and death. Hallucinogens

Mescaline and Psilocybin Hallucinogens • The taking of peyote is part of the religious ceremonies of some Native Americans of the southwestern United States. peyote A cactus that produces the hallucinogen mescaline

Mescaline and Psilocybin Hallucinogens • Mescaline produces effects that are comparable to a mild LSD trip. mescaline The hallucinogen produced by the peyote cactus

Mescaline and Psilocybin Hallucinogens • Poisoning and death can occur when psilocybin users harvest toxic species of mushroom. psilocybin A hallucinogen produced by a type of wild mushroom

Inhalants • People who experiment with inhalants risk permanent disability or death.

Three types of chemicals are used as inhalants: Solvents, including fumes from gasoline, lighter fluid, and paint thinner. Aerosols, which contain propellants that are added to spray-on deodorant, hair spray, fabric protectors, and spray oils. Gases, including chloroform, ether, nitrous oxide, and household or commercial products. Inhalants

Sudden sniffing death can result from even one session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young person. Inhalants sudden sniffing death Sudden death from heart failure in a person abusing inhalants

Potential effects of inhalants include: Disrupted vision, impaired judgment, and a reduction in reflex and muscle control. Permanent brain damage and nerve damage. Irregular and rapid heartbeats leading to sudden sniffing death. Inhalants

Club Drugs • Club drugs include a wide variety of drugs such as ecstasy, Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine.

Different club drugs have different effects on the body—loss of muscle control, blurred vision, and seizures. Club Drugs club drugs A wide variety of drugs abused by young people at dance clubs and all-night dance parties.

Ecstasy Ecstasy, or MDMA, is a stimulant and a hallucinogen that is usually taken in tablet form. Ecstasy produces euphoria and distortion in time and perception. Symptoms of overdose include high blood pressure, panic attacks, fainting, and even loss of consciousness. Club Drugs

Content Vocabulary